Fujifilm Announces X-Pro 1 Interchangeable-Lens Camera

Fujifilm rolled out 19 new cameras last week just ahead of CES, but there was something missing from the announcements: The company's first entry into the compact interchangeable-lens category, which was the stuff of leaks across the Web.

The company made the rumor a reality Monday by announcing the Fujifilm X-Pro 1, which offers a new 16-megapixel "X-Trans" APS-C size CMOS sensor backed by a new EXR Processor Pro engine, and it shoots full 1080p video. The new camera also offers a revamped version of the hybrid optical/digital viewfinder found in the previously highest-end Fujifilm X100. The redesigned hybrid viewfinder adjusts its framing depending on the focal length of the lens.

Fujifilm says the new X-Pro 1's APS-C size sensor uses a new 6x6 color filter array that eliminates the need for a low pass filter to correct moire patterns, and the company claims that the sensor produces lower visible noise than a DSLR with an APS-C size sensor. The new X-Pro 1 also shoots full 1080p video and RAW-format images, and continuous shooting tops out at 10fps.

The company says the new X-Pro one has a very thin flange back--the distance between the lens back and the sensor--which contributes to better low-light shooting. Because the distance between the lens element and sensor is short than most, Fujifilm says it's very effective in capturing light and shooting at faster shutter speeds.

Fujifilm's new X-Pro 1 will use a new X-Mount lens system, and three wide-aperture prime lenses will be available for the camera when it becomes available in February. The brightest of the lot is the XF 35mm F1.4 lens, which will have a focal-length equivalent of 53mm when attached to the camera (that makes the focal range multiplier of about 1.5X). Also among the new lens options are a XF 18mm F2.0 wide-angle lens (27mm in 35mm equivalent) and a XF 60mm F2.4 R (91mm equivalent) macro/portrait lens.

Each of the lenses is expected to cost around $650, but the pricing has not been finalized. Several more zoom lenses are slated for availability in 2013.

The camera's price is still a mystery, and it should be noted that the fixed-lens X100 is priced at $1200, so expect a price point even higher than that.